VILLAGE OF ADDISON

WATER QUALITY REPORT APRIL 2006

Keeping Our Community Educated On The Quality Of Our Drinking Water

The purpose of this report is to keep our customers informed on the quality of their drinking water and on the monitoring requirements mandated through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). If you have any questions or comments pertaining to this report, please call John Chrysogelos, Water Department Foreman, at (630) 620-2020.

 

The Village of Addison receives all of its water through the DuPage Water Commission (DWC), which receives it from the City of Chicago Jardine water filtration plant located near Navy Pier. We have been receiving Lake Michigan water since March of 1992.

 

To insure that the Village of Addison has the ability to supply water to our residents in an emergency, we also maintain seven  wells. These wells are exercised and sampled for bacteriological contamination at least quarterly. This is done to insure that if needed, the well water would comply with all EPA requirements. 

 

Over the course of a year many residents ask us if we blend any well water into the water we receive from Lake Michigan. The Village of Addison does not mix well water with Lake Michigan water. We provide 100% Lake Michigan water at all times, unless the Lake Michigan supply is interrupted.  

 

Lake Michigan is the sole source of drinking water for Addison, Chicago and 118 other suburban communities. The Environmental Protection Agency has found that the quality of Lake Michigan has improved dramatically over the past 25 years. Lake Michigan, by volume, is the second largest Great Lake and the only one located totally within the United States. It serves as a source of drinking water, as a place for swimming and fishing, as a scenic wonderland, and as a sink for municipal and industrial waste and runoff from the surrounding lands. All 63 miles of shoreline within Illinois are now considered to be in good condition. Since the quality of the raw water source is good, conventional treatment methods of disinfection, coagulation and sedimentation, and sand filtration are adequate for producing a water that is free of harmful contaminants. 

 

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain trace amounts of some contaminants.  The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/Aids or other immune system disorders, some elderly and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. USEPA guidelines on appropriate means to lesson the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the USEPAs SAFE DRINKING WATER HOTLINE  (1-800-426-4791).

 

The Village of Addison Water Department samples and monitors the water from the entire water distribution system every month as mandated by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). If the required samples are not submitted or if a sample would be found to be contaminated, this would be a violation of the SDWA and EPA regulations, and all Addison residents would have to be notified as soon as possible. Our Water Department collects 40 water samples every month to insure that your tap water is free from bacteria. These sampling points are distributed evenly throughout the Village.  This year, as in past years, your drinking water has met all USEPA and State drinking water standards. The City of Chicago and the DuPage Water Commission also sample and test the water before it reaches the Village of Addison.

 

The Village of Addison, in addition to performing bacteriological testing, also collects water samples at homes throughout the village to test for lead and copper contamination. Homes containing lead pipes, lead service lines or copper pipe soldered with lead based solder were chosen based on criteria set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. If more than ten per cent of the collected samples exceed levels set by the USEPA, we would be notified by the IEPA of what actions we must take.  The testing began in July 1992, and after two rounds of sampling, the IEPA reduced the number of samples the Village of Addison was required to test from 60 to 30, due to the water being in compliance with lead and copper standards.

 

The Chicago Water Department monitors for contaminants which are proposed to be regulated or for which no standards currently exist but which could provide useful information in assessing the quality of the source water.

 

The sources of drinking water, whether they be tap water or bottled water, come from rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels through the ground, or overland, it can dissolve naturally occurring minerals or radioactive materials, and pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or human activity.  Some of these contaminants can consist of:

A) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.

B) Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which may be naturally occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming.

C) Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from agriculture or urban runoff and residential uses.

D) Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and may also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff and septic systems.

E) Radioactive contaminants, which may be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

 

The USEPA regulate the amount of contaminants in water provided by a public water system and the FDA regulate the amount of contaminants in bottled water.

 

Explanations of the abbreviations and definitions you will need to understand the sampling data on the water quality sheet for 1999 are as follows:

 

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) -The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

 

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

 

Treatment Technique (TT) - A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

 

Action Levels (AL) - The concentration of a contaminant that triggers treatment or other required actions by the water supply.

 

nd              not detectable at testing limits

na              not applicable

ppm           parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/l)

ppb            parts per billion, or micrograms per liter ( ug/l) 

NTU          Nephelometric Turbidity Unit used to measure cloudiness in drinking water.

% pos/mo  Percent positive samples per month

# pos/mo    Number of positive samples per month

 

Range of Detection- This column represents a range of individual sample results, from lowest to highest that were collected during the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) calendar year.

Level Found- This column represents an average of sample data collected during the CCR calendar year. In some cases, it may represent a single sample if only one sample was collected.

Lead - EPA has determined that lead is a health concern at certain levels of exposure. Materials that contain lead were frequently used in the construction of water supply systems and indoor plumbing. Lead in these materials can contaminate drinking water as a result of corrosion that takes place when water comes into contact with these materials. Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). 

Haloacetic acids - (HAAs) are disinfectant by-products. The Village of Addison started monitoring for HAAs last year. The City of Chicago started monitoring for HAAs in July, 1998.  The EPA set a MCL for HAAs at 60ppb. Results of the monitoring from Chicago are approximately 11.8 ppb, which is comfortably below the regulated level. All samples collected by the Village of Addison have been far below the levels set by the IEPA.

 

 

Trihalomethanes-are disinfectant by-products. The Village of Addison started sampling for Trihalomethanes in July 1987.

 

Turbidity- is a measure of the cloudiness of the water. The City of Chicago monitors it because it is a good indicator of water quality and the effectiveness of their filtration system.

 

Fluoride- is added to the water supply to help promote strong teeth. The Illinois Department of Public Health recommends an optimal fluoride range of 0.9 mg/l to 1.2 mg/l.

 

Sodium- There is no state or federal MCL for sodium. Monitoring is required to provide information to consumers and health officials that are concerned about sodium intake due to dietary precautions. If the level is greater than 20 mg/l and you are on a sodium-restricted diet, you should consult a physician.

 

Cryptosporidium- Analyses have been conducted monthly on the source water since April 1993. Cryptosporidium has not been detected in these samples. Cryptosporidium is a single-celled parasite, highly resistant to chlorine, which produces an illness characterized by vomiting, fever, diarrhea and fatigue when ingested. Treatment processes have been optimized to ensure that if there are cryptosporidium cysts in the source water, they will be removed during the treatment process. By maintaining a low turbidity and thereby removing the particles from the water, the threat of cryptosporidium organisms getting into the drinking water system is greatly reduced.

                                       

MTBE or Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether- This product is used as an oxygenate additive to gasoline to make it burn more efficiently and help vehicles comply with the 1990 Clean Air Act. This chemical is highly soluble and travels faster and farther underground than other gasoline compounds. At high levels, MTBE may pose a public health threat. The main source of localized MTBE contamination is from leaking underground storage tanks and pipeline spills. At the present time there is no MCL set for MTBE, MTBE is considered to be a ground water issue, not a surface water issue. Our Lake Michigan water source is  a surface water supply.

 

Chromium- Occurs naturally in the environment as chromite iron ore. It is rarely found naturally in water, yet it is widely distributed in soils and plants. Chromium in this form is an important contributor to human health. Chromium can also exist in a toxic state as Hexavalent Chromium, which is associated with industrial waste. Chromium is used in metal alloys including stainless steel, protective coatings on metal, magnetic tapes and pigments for paints, cement, paper and rubber. The USEPA determined that there is no evidence that the lifetime exposure to Chromium in drinking water can cause cancer. Hexavalent Chromium at acute levels can cause skin irritaion or ulerations; long-term exposure to Hexavalent Chromium can lead to liver and kidney damage as well as damage to nerve tissue. Hexavalant chromium has been successfully eliminated from entering the environment as a result of past and current national pollution discharge elimination system and industrial pollution discharge limits. The MCL for Chromium in drinking water is 100 ug/l. The water we receive from the City of Chicago has less than 2 ug/l according to the test data we receive.

 

Arsenic- Occurs naturally in the environment, being the 20^th most common element in the earth crust. Currently the M.C.L. for  arsenic is at 50 ppb. The level found in our drinking water from Lake Michigan is less than 4ppb. The World Health Organization is trying to lower the M.C.L. to 10 ppb. At present this change is on hold pending further study by the USEPA.

 

UNREGULATED CONTAMINANTS:

 A maximum contaminant level (MCL) for this contaminant has not been established by either the state or federal regulations, nor has mandatory health effect language. The purpose for monitoring this contaminant is to assist USEPA in determining the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in drinking water, and whether future regulation is warranted.

 

The Illinois EPA considers all surface water sources of community water supply to be susceptible to potential pollution problems. The very nature of surface water allows contaminants to migrate into the intake with no protection only dilution. This is the reason for mandatory treatment for all surface water supplies in Illinois. Chicago’s offshore intakes are located at a distance that shoreline impacts are not usually considered a factor on water quality. At certain times of the year, however, the potential for contamination exists due to wet-weather flows and river reversals. In addition, the placement of the crib structures may serve to attract waterfowl, gulls and terns that frequent the Great Lakes area, thereby concentrating fecal deposits at the intake and thus compromising the source water quality. Conversely, the shore intakes are highly susceptible to storm water runoff, marinas and shoreline point sources due to the influx of groundwater to the lake. Throughout history there have been extraordinary steps taken to assure a safe source of drinking water in the Chicagoland area. From the building of the offshore cribs and the introduction of interceptor sewers to the lock-and-dam system of Chicago’s waterways and the city’s Lakefront Zoning Ordinance. The city now looks to the recently created Department of the Water Management, Department of Environment and the MWRDGC to assure the safety of the city’s water supply. Also, water supply officials from Chicago are active members of the West Shore Water Producers Association. Coordination of water quality situations (i.e., spills, tanker leaks, exotic species, etc) and general lake conditions are frequently discussed during the association’s quarterly meetings. Also, Lake Michigan has a variety of organizations and associations that are currently working to either maintain or improve water quality. Finally, one of the best ways to ensure a safe source of drinking water is to develop a program designed to protect the source water against potential contamination on the local level. Since the predominant land use within Illinois’ boundary of Lake Michigan watershed is urban, a majority of the watershed protection activities in this document are aimed at this purpose. Citizens should be aware that everyday activities in an urban setting might have a negative impact on their source water. Efforts should be made to improve awareness of storm water drains and their direct link to the lake within the identified local source water area. A proven best management practice (BMP) for this purpose has been the identification and stenciling of storm water drains within a watershed. Stenciling along with an educational component is necessary to keep the lake a safe and reliable source of drinking water.